


I could use some friends for a change

by whythehair (tootiredmotel)



Series: Yorak Kogane & the loverboy called Lance [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Multi, and keith's dad, keith doesn't know he's galra yet, set in season 2, some homophobic language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 19:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17331236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tootiredmotel/pseuds/whythehair
Summary: There are only a few times in his life that Keith can recall having a friend. After all this time, it's nice to have a family.





	I could use some friends for a change

**Author's Note:**

> my first (posted) vld fic!

When Keith was young and small, he would stay with his appa's friend -Ms. Bella- whenever he was on call and put out fires. Ms. Bella had two kids, Nathan and Ellie. Nathan was older than Keith by four years, but still treated him like a friend, still kind to him. Ellie was six, just like Keith, and they got along just as well. 

 

One day, during the sunny spring, Ellie convinced Keith to have a tea party. Ellie had her previous year's Halloween costume on- a princess, go figure- and she made Keith wear Nathan's too big Galaxy Garrison costume. One mud pie after another led to them getting elementary married. Only problem? Keith didn't want to marry Ellie. He wanted to marry Nathan, and when he told Ellie this, she told him not to worry, that maybe they could get married as grown ups, but she and him were best friend married. 

 

The next time Keith went to Ms. Bella's house, he was playing with Nathan, and asked him if they could get married too. 

 

_"We're boys! Boys can't get married, Keith." Neither kid noticed Ms. Bella walking by until the laundry basket was dropped. "What are you two talking about?!"_

 

_Keith suddenly felt very sheepish and uncomfortable, because Ms. Bella was speaking in an accusatory tone, angry. "Keith thinks it's okay for boys to get married, Momma."  He didn't notice Ellie behind the older woman until then. And if wasn't feeling awkward before, he was then, thanks to Nathan throwing him under the bus. "Yeah, he wants us to get married, but I told him boys can't get married."_

 

_Keith felt like his friends had betrayed him, because why else would Ms. Bella get mad at him for wanting to marry Nathan?_

 

_Ms. Bella told Nathan and Ellie to go to the kitchen and eat their snack before grabbing Keith by the arm, and pulling him outside._

 

_"Ms. Bella, did I do something wrong?" The woman turned on him sharply, shutting the door behind them. "You will call me Ms. Yeun, and yes you did something wrong. I know you didn't mean to, but you're sick, Keith."_

 

_The six year old placed the back of his hand on his forehead like his appa taught him, and felt for a fever. "But I don't feel sick, Ms. Be- Ms. Yeun. And I don't have a temper-rapture."  The older Korean woman knelt down in front of Keith, holding his arms and never breaking eye contact. "It's not a physical sickness, Keith, it's a mental sickness."_

 

_After that little talk, she made Keith sit on the porch for what felt like a long time, until the sun started to set, and she sent Ellie to bring him back inside. "Momma says your Daddy will be here to pick you up in a little bit, so you can come inside."_

 

_It was another hour and a half before his appa got there, and he was half-asleep on the couch. Keith wasn't exactly sure when he got there, but he did hear his appa talk to Ms. Bella._

 

_"I think your boy is sick... I really think you need to find a wife, he needs a mother."_

 

_When they were back home, his appa asked how he felt, and Keith told him he wasn't sick. "I know what it is, Appa. Ms. Yeun told me." He was being tucked into bed, and his appa lifted an eyebrow. "Ms. Yeun?"  Keith nodded. "Mhm. Ms. Yeun said it's a mental sickness."_

 

After that, Keith never went back to that house again, and he never played with Ellie or Nathan again either.

 

* * *

 

 

When Keith was twelve and in school, months before Takashi Shirogane came into his life, he had one friend. His name was Simon, and he was very nice to Keith. 

 

The pair met when Simon was getting bullied, and Keith stepped up to defend the poor guy. 

 

_Keith picked up the fallen glasses and handed them over to the crying boy. "Th-thank you."_

 

_Keith nodded, crossing his arms. "No problem. I'm Keith. You must be new...even James knows to stay away from Henry."  The smaller kid sniffled. "My name's Simon, I am new."_

 

_From then on, Keith intervened when someone was going to bully or tease Simon. In return, Simon would bring him extra snacks or a sandwich, since the home Keith was at didn't have luxuries like cool ranch doritos or celery with peanut butter- Simon called it ants on a log without the ants._

 

_Eventually Keith got a full ride into the Galaxy Garrison, and on his last day of getting to hang out with Simon, they went swimming in the lake two miles from Simon's house. While they splashed around in the water, Simon kissed Keith on the cheek as a thank you for being his friend, and Keith suddenly felt very guilty about leaving him behind._

 

Keith never saw Simon again. 

* * *

 

 

_"That bridge is a real beauty!" Hunk leaned back in his seat, getting excited alongside everyone for the celebration a planet was throwing in their honor. The inhabitants of said planet wanted to demonstrate their gratitude with a feast and a show, by having the princess- Allura- and a paladin -not yet chosen- to play a happy couple. Apparently inhabitants of said planet are suckers for romance and junk._

 

_"The legend behind the bridge is even cooler, I mean..." Keith tuned out whatever Pidge was saying, not interested in yet another telling of the bridge that the people/aliens were more grateful for being saved than themselves. Somewhere along the way, Coran took over the story, with the occasional piping in of the others._

 

_"Sounds like a show I wouldn't wanna miss!" Lance chimed in, using his hands as he talked. "The princess running from one end of the bridge, the young guy running from the other. Then they meet in the middle- 'N get all icky sticky. So who gets to play the part of the lucky young guy? I know you want someone who comes on real macho, so, I guess it's gotta be me." Lance's voice carried with smugness, and the others groaned. Hunk, bless him, threw in his opinion. "You need someone who's all heart!"_

 

_And then Pidge, the little gremlin, also chimed in. "How about someone loaded with personality?" She, other than Coran, was the only one who knew Allura didn't have a preference towards males, after all._

 

_Allura rolled her eyes at the paladins' antics, noticing two hadn't voiced their opinions-but Shiro had a good reason, seeing as he was going ahead and showering unlike the procrastinating paladins sanz Allura and Coran. "Keith?"_

 

_Keith, who hadn't been paying that much attention, tried to fight a blush. "No thanks."_

* * *

 

 

Keith and Pidge didn't pair up often, and it's not like they had much in common anyways. Regardless, they did end up making a pretty good team. 

 

_The team was split into groups, searching for some ancient Altean tool, and the 'grumpy Christmas duo'-dubbed by Hunk- were looking in a cave. They had run into a couple sentries, but took them out and were on their way back to the green lion._

 

_Pidge was on the coms with Coran, telling him they couldn't find the piece, and asked if the others found anything, when she heard a crash. The young teen turned her head and saw Keith stumbling out of the cave, then promptly told Coran she'd call back. "Was it a sentry?"_

 

_Keith fidgeted with his bayard, avoiding eye contact. "Uh, yeah. It was a sentry."_

 

_Pidge raised her eyebrows. She hadn't heard a sentry, and there were no signs of anymore being in that cave. "Really?"_

 

_"It was a stack of boulders and some stick thing, and I tripped."_

 

_Pidge struggled to smother her laugh, but couldn't hide the smile. Keith, on the other hand, did manage to somewhat hide his smile, and she noticed he wasn't angry. "Still, we have what we came for."_

 

_The green paladin grabbed the device from Keith's hands, scanning it instantly. "Rule number one of scavenging- there's nothing left in this world that isn't hidden."_

 

_Pidge didn't ask if he learned that from living in a shack in the desert, she had a feeling she knew the answer._

 

* * *

Keith hadn't expected to bond with Allura, especially after he basically- but definitely accidentally- insulted her. 

 

_"I know you didn't mean to sound impolite, and maybe it's none of my business, but is it something about me you just don't like?"_

 

_Of all the things Allura could've said to him that morning- they were both awkwardly standing in the training deck, the only ones there._

 

_Keith knew the right thing to do would be to first assure her that it was nothing personal, and he didn't mean to sound impolite at all, that he had nothing against her, but what does he do?_

 

_"Yeah, I like guys."_

 

_He used to be nervous about coming out to people, but eventually enough people in his life left, and he didn't really have much to lose. But this?_

 

_This was how he became the second person after Pidge to find out the princess had no preferences._

* * *

Since he'd been in space, he'd bonded with everyone at least a little bit, and it felt...nice. 

 

Allura and Pidge reminded him of a nicer Nathan and Ellie, Hunk- well, he kinda remembered Hunk from the Garrison if he really thought about. Real nice guy, but he reminded him of Simon too. Shiro's like a brother to him, always will be. 

Coran reminded him of the nicest teacher he ever had, Mr. Rose from his middle school.

Lance, the jerk, didn't even remember their bonding moment. 

 

_"we are a good team"_

 

Yet, he still felt the beginnings of something...nice, familiar. Something warm. 

 

There are only a few times in his life that Keith can recall having a friend. After all this time, it's nice to have a family.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> some nights-fun


End file.
